Area man charged in drug bust

Kyle allegedly had 80 grams of marijuana

February 21, 2013

A Norton man accused of transporting approximately 80 grams of marijuana in his car was arrested late Tuesday night after police allegedly spotted him driving with a license plate that was registered to another vehicle.

Dylan Craig Kyle, 30, was arraigned on charges of possession with intent to deliver marijuana greater than 15 grams, a felony, early Wednesday morning.

According to the criminal complaint filed in magistrate court, Trooper First Class J.R. Wince with the Elkins detachment of the West Virginia State Police was driving south on U.S. Route 219 in Elkins at about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday when he spotted a black Audi A-6 traveling in the same direction.

As Wince proceeded to pass the Audi in the left lane, "the vehicle began driving noticeably different," so Wince pulled behind the Audi and requested information on the vehicle's license plate from the WVSP communications headquarters. Upon learning that the license plate was registered to a 1983 Chevy Camaro, Wince initiated a traffic stop.

As Wince was speaking with Kyle, the driver, he smelled an odor of marijuana emanating from the car, so he asked Kyle if his vehicle contained anything illegal. Kyle told Wince he had a bowl and a small amount of marijuana - approximately 3 grams - in the Audi's console as well as a firearm in its glovebox.

When Wince informed Kyle that, due to the presence of the bowl and marijuana, he was going to search the Audi, Kyle "immediately and without being prompted" told Wince that he had stored two ounces of marijuana in the back of the vehicle, the complaint states. After handcuffing Kyle, Wince allegedly recovered two individually packaged bags of a green leafy substance that weighed about 80 grams, according to the complaint.

Kyle reportedly gave Wince a recorded statement in which he admitted that he'd purchased the marijuana locally and was on his way to sell it to make a profit.

"He (Kyle) stated he had recently lost his job and needed to make money to support his family," Wince wrote in the report.

Chief Magistrate Ben Shepler set bond at $35,000 cash only, and as of presstime, Kyle's name was listed on the regional jail website.

The penalty for a conviction of possession with intent to deliver marijuana, a Schedule I substance, is imprisonment in the state penitentiary for one to five years and a fine of up to $15,000, or both.